Report Summary

Development of an integration scheme for renewable energies in municipalities taking into account the interfaces between municipality and surrounding regions

The application of renewable energy in urban areas has thus far taken place in a very ad-hoc way as there is currently no overall concept as to how renewable energies should be applied in municipalities in Europe. The General Integration Scheme, a methodology for the integration of renewable energy into municipalities produced as a result of this project, provides urban decision makers with a useful urban energy planning tool.

To date the use of renewable energies in urban areas has take place in an ad hoc way; a photovoltaic panel has been added to a public building, a biomass burning boiler is used at an industrial site, etc. An overall concept of how renewable energy should be used by the municipalities of Europe and their surrounding areas is currently lacking and there is therefore a need for a comprehensive implementation tool. The main objective of this project is to develop a methodology to plan the integration of renewables into the municipalities. It is intended that this General Integration Scheme methodology will give guidelines for the establishment of specific renewable energy technology integration plans for European municipalities. This methodology is intended to enable municipalities to explore the technical possibilities of integrating, or substituting, conventional energy with renewable energy.